2010 Conference By Marcella Hawkins Bluebird Monitor OBS encourages good stewardship by Monitoring our Trails On February 27, the Ohio Bluebird Society held its educational conference at The Arden Shisler Conference Center on the OSU campus in Wooster. This was the perfect place for the conference and the attendance was the largest for any previous OBS conference. The snow was a threat but did not keep us from having a successful event. The speakers included: (1) Mel Bolt on Bluebird boxes – specifications and installation; (2) Ken Cochran – Program Director, Secrest Arboretum (OARDC) – Plants that attract birds searching for food; (3) Dick Tuttle – Managing nest jars over water for Prothonotary Warblers; (4) Sue Evanoff, President of the Wilderness Center Bird Club; (5) Steve Endres, on wildlife photog- raphy; and (6) Lynda Price – of the Wilderness Center – historical role of bird band- ing and what is learned from the science. The process of banding from permits, traps, band size, aging and sexing the birds and record keeping. The Medina Raptor Center brought three birds of prey for everyone to observe. We enjoyed seeing a leucistic red-tailed hawk; a barred owl and a barn owl. Our raffle items helped immensely in paying for the conference expenses. We had approximately 75 items donated by area businesses, exhibitors and members. What's Inside... OBS in the News -2010 OBS Conference .... 1 Meet the Directors of OBS ...................... 4 Wing Waive .............................................. 5 Bluebird Conservation at Holden............. 6 Making Progress w/ Prothonotary Warblers ....7 Attention Members ................................ 10 Website Announcement ......................... 11 Habitat for Bluebird ............................... 11 Financial Report ..................................... 11 Trail Tales............................................... 13 Member News ........................................ 14 ~ Mission Statement ~ The Ohio Bluebird Society was formed in 1987 to support the return and the perpetuation of the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) and other native cavity nesting birds in Ohio. To this end, the Ohio Bluebird Society will strive for the best methods to use, conserve and create habitat for the protection of these species. Mel Bolt Ken Cochran Dick Tu�le Volume 23, Number 1 Spring 2010 OBS in the News:
Transcript
2010 ConferenceBy Marcella Hawkins
Bluebird Monitor
OBS encourages good stewardship by Monitoring our Trails
On February 27, the Ohio Bluebird Society held its educational conference at The Arden Shisler Conference Center on the OSU campus in Wooster. This was the perfect place for the conference and the attendance was the largest for any previous OBS conference. The snow
was a threat but did not keep us from having a successful event.
The speakers included: (1) Mel Bolt on Bluebird boxes – specifications and installation; (2) Ken Cochran– Program Director, Secrest Arboretum (OARDC) – Plants that attract birds searching for food; (3) Dick Tuttle – Managing nest jars over water for Prothonotary Warblers; (4) Sue Evanoff,
President of the Wilderness Center Bird Club; (5) Steve Endres, on wildlife photog-raphy; and (6) Lynda Price – of the Wilderness Center – historical role of bird band-ing and what is learned from the science. The process of banding from permits, traps, band size, aging and sexing the birds and record keeping.
The Medina Raptor Center brought three birds of prey for everyone to observe. We enjoyed seeing a leucistic red-tailed hawk; a barred owl and a barn owl.
Our raffle items helped immensely in paying for the conference expenses. We had approximately 75 items donated by area businesses, exhibitors and members.
What's Inside...OBS in the News -2010 OBS Conference .... 1Meet the Directors of OBS ...................... 4 Wing Waive .............................................. 5Bluebird Conservation at Holden ............. 6Making Progress w/ Prothonotary Warblers ....7Attention Members ................................ 10Website Announcement ......................... 11Habitat for Bluebird ............................... 11Financial Report ..................................... 11Trail Tales ............................................... 13Member News ........................................ 14
~ Mission Statement ~The Ohio Bluebird Society was formed in 1987 to support the return and the perpetuation of the Eastern Bluebird
(Sialia sialis) and other native cavity nesting birds in Ohio. To this end, the Ohio Bluebird Society will strive for the best methods to use, conserve and create habitat for the protection of these species.
Mel BoltKen Cochran
Dick Tu� le
Volume 23, Number 1Spring 2010
2010 COBS in the News:
2 Bluebird Monitor Spring 2010
The 2011 conference has already been booked again at the Shisler Center for February 26. This time we will have the whole building.
Special thanks to our exhibitors at the conference:
A & E Productions – Steve Smith – not only did Steve transfer pictures to DVD’s for people while at the conference – he also let us use his VISA machine to accept a new life membership to OBS! [email protected]
A Plus Wildlife Control – Ron Krueger – Serving Medina, Summit, Wayne,
Anything Personalized – Jennie Duecker – www.AnythingPersonalized.com – from tote bags to t-shirts, Jennie can personalize virtu-ally anything for you.
Mel Bolt – Bluebird and House Wren nest boxes, Sparrow traps, Modified Noel predator guards, wasp mashers, Bluebird whirli-gigs; Pictures of plant food for Bluebirds and Bluebirds feeding on currants; a jar filled with sample currants; E-mail: [email protected]; Phone: 330.262.0448
Allen Bower – the “Flicker Man” from Michigan. Allen had various nest boxes and lots of good information and pictures from his years of getting to know the Bluebirds and Flickers.
Jay Brindo – “Connecting With Nature by Helping the Bluebirds” PowerPoint pro-gram on trail management. Jay had his monitoring jack-et with tools he carries and examples of different types of nests commonly found in Bluebird nesting boxes. [email protected]
Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland – Girl Scout cook-ies…….I was told that they didn’t sell many cookies but they did learn a lot and want to come back next year.
Dave Gray – beautiful wooden bird and other wildlife carvings.
Holden Arboretum – Mike Watson - The Holden Arboretum - for general information call 440-946-4400 or visit www.holdenarb.org. For questions specific to their Bluebird program, contact Mike Watson at extension 132, or [email protected].
Holmes County Book Works - publishes limited-edition reprints of classic nature, farming, and fishing books. Items at the conference: The Bluebird: Selected Passages by the Legendary Naturalist John Burroughs; Red Bird, Green Bird: How Birds Help Us Grow Healthy Gardens; and When Passenger Pigeons Flew in the Killbuck Valley: The Birds of Wayne County, Ohio, 1896 - the la�er two on behalf of OARDC and The Wooster Book Company, respectively. The Holmes County Book Works is a hobby press run by Kurt Knebusch, whose day job is technical editor at OARDC, where he writes press releases, web content and other copy. 6230 TR 501, Big Prairie, OH 44611, 330-464-9479.
Ray Leisy – full scale model of the Sonnenberg Village in Kidron that is being restored. The project can be viewed at http://www.kidronhistoricalsociety.org/KHSsonnenberg.php. This will be an all “green” restored village that will be self-sufficient. A Bluebird trail is one of the projects for the village.
Malabar Farms State Park – Chris McQuillen – infor-mation on the park. http://www.malabarfarm.org/
Ron Randall – bird boxes and feeders – 330.567.2718.
Rural King of Ohio – Display included all types of bird food, some bird houses, bird feeders and much more. 3541 Lincolnway East, Wooster, OH 44691. Phone - 330.264.5475.
Simple Products Simple Products designs and manufactures primarily wood products that serve a functional purpose. Displayed at the conference were a line of bluebird nest boxes made from recycled or salvaged materials, framed bluebird prints, and a collection of vintage trading cards from the 1930s featuring a range of beneficial birds. Contact Michael S. Jaeb, Design Farm/Simple Products, 10336 TR 262, Millersburg, OH 44654, 330-763-3137, [email protected].
Jim Spires – Fine Pottery items, including Bluebirds and Cardinals. www.jimspirespottery.com.
Time & Optics – Robert Hershberger – binoculars, time pieces, birding books, bird houses, bird feeders and much more. Robert is also the editor of The Bobolink magazine and manages The Bobolink Area Rare Bird Alert phone line – 330.763.5119. Time & Optics number – 330.674.0210.
Marne Titchenell – OSU Wildlife Program Specialist, Ohio State University Extension, School of Environment and Natural Resources – display and brochures on wild-life programs.
Wally Road, Loudonville – Andy Yoder and Vivian Ashcraft - Wally Road State Scenic Byway south of Loudonville featuring the special arts and nature pro-gramming including volunteer opportunities. Wally Road is Ohio’s Largest Outdoor Recreational Complex. Affiliated with Mohican Arts in Nature Festival, Mohican Valley Eagle Watch, Mohican Valley Arts & Entertainment, Loudonville-Mohican Convention and Visitors Bureau, Holmes County Tourism Council, and Knox County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. www.wallyroad.com
Wilderness Center Birding Club – The display showed pictures and listings of nature education activities con-ducted at the center. The Wilderness Center newsletter, Native Plant Sale flyer, and Summer Days Enrichment program brochure were a few of the handouts offered. A special bluebird trail nest box display was included for this conference. The bird nest-box display was donated to The Wilderness Center from Mel Bolt. Contact: Lynda Price, Naturalist, The Wilderness Center, PO Box 202, Wilmot, OH 44689-0202; 330-359-5235.
NOTE: If you would like additional information for
any of the exhibitors, please contact Marcella Hawkins at [email protected].
Conference Listeners
Jay and Beth Brindo “Connecting With Nature by Helping the Bluebirds”
I was born and have lived in Char-don, Ohio all of my life. My wife Beth and I just celebrated 41 years of marriage in February. We have four adult children and three grandchildren.
I graduated from Chardon High School in 1970.
I’m also a 1986 graduate of Cleve-land based Brentwood Hospital where I
received my State and National EMT-Paramedic Certification and was recognized by Brentwood Hospital for outstanding scholastic achievement. For a time I enjoyed teaching basic CPR and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) for the American Heart Association. Along with this I served as a volunteer firefighter for nine years with Chardon Volunteer Fire Department.
Presently I am Co-Owner along with my brother and VP of Air Cleaning Systems Inc. located in Chardon, Ohio. We specialize in helping business and industry meet OSHSA, NFPA and EPA government regulations via supplying air-cleaning, dust-collection and fume-ventilation systems. I’ve served and worked in this industry as my primary source of income for 35 years.
Besides my passion for helping to preserve the Bluebirds, I also have a special place in my heart for bats and owls. I love being outdoors with my camera and portable sound record-ing equipment hoping to capture special moments in nature. I am a musician, song writer and operate my own semi-pro-fessional recording studio.
Mike WatsonI grew up in Findlay, in northwest
Ohio. I’ve always enjoyed being out-doors and have been interested in ani-mals, ecology and conservation since elementary school. Much of this inter-est focused specifically on bats. In fact, my family’s refrigerator is probably one of the very few that ever had bats hiber-nating in it (my parents are very tolerant people).
At The College of Wooster I majored in biology, focusing on animal ecology. This led to the University of Michigan and a Masters in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. After graduation, my wife and I moved to Ashtabula and I began looking for volunteer opportunities in the area. I came across the Lake Metroparks bluebird program and began monitor-ing their River Road trail. This ended in 2007 when I was hired as Holden’s Conservation Biologist and took over as the coordinator for Holden’s bluebird program.
Because I’m relatively new to bluebirding, I was a bit ner-vous about becoming Holden’s bluebird coordinator. But, our bluebirders have been a great bunch of teachers and I have learned a lot in a short time.
Holden’s program was started by a volunteer in the 1960’s
and continues as a volunteer-driven conservation program. The bulk of the work is done by our volunteers, but I do get to help with monitoring, training new volunteers, banding, and data entry. At the end of each season I run some basic sea-son summary statistics to track the bluebirds, tree swallows, house wrens, chickadees, and house sparrows at Holden.
Besides bluebirds, my job focuses on a variety of conser-vation issues that involve animals in some way. These proj-ects include a deer browse study that looks at the impact of deer on Holden’s forests, surveying non-native earthworm populations and addressing potential ecological impacts of these worms, and working with volunteers to conduct breed-ing bird surveys.
Kyle Maurer I am a 20 year old transitioning college student and recently earned my Eagle Scout designation through Boy Scouting. My plan is to become a conservationist as my future career choice as well as one of my hobbies. Hunting, fishing and camp-ing are some of my favorite things to do -anything that is outdoors . Currently I
am working on a dairy farm and at the Camp Toodik ca-noe livery/camp grounds . Working on a dairy farm has helped me realize the sparrow problem that exists. My fam-ily members have been part of OBS for 10 years and that is how I got involved with Bluebird preservation.
Sharon Lynn I was born in York, Pennsylvania
and have since lived in a variety of states. I grew up on the coast of South Carolina, and a�ended college at the University of South Carolina. Because my family in-stilled in me a love of the outdoors at an early age, I have always had an interest in wildlife. But, it was in college that I really
developed a passion for birds. After spending two summers working at a field station in the mountains of Virginia, I be-came hooked on studying bird behavior. I eventually moved west to pursue these interests while a�aining a PhD in zool-ogy at the University of Washington in Sea�le, Washington. During that time, I was fortunate to travel to some fantastic places to work on a variety of birds, including white-crowned sparrows, chestnut-collared and McCown’s longspurs, and snow buntings. I also used this time to pursue other interests such as competitive rowing. After completing my degree, I moved to Waterville, Maine for two years to work in a tempo-rary position as a Visiting Professor at Colby College. In 2004, I accepted a position in the Biology department at the College of Wooster and moved to Wooster, Ohio. At Wooster, I teach a variety of courses including animal physiology, hormones and behavior, and reproductive biology. Early on in my time here, I was fortunate to meet OBS members Dean and Ron
Sharon Lynn Bio continued on page 5...
Spring 2010 Bluebird Monitor 5
I have a confession to make. Originally I thought I’d just put up a few nesting boxes and they (the Bluebirds) would come. I must have watched Field of Dreams one too many times. I now realize my thinking was a naive combination of enthusiasm coupled with a lack of knowledge. Fortunately for both the Bluebirds and me, the door of opportunity soon opened and I found myself walking the Bluebird trail shad-owing under Mr. Dick Kennelly. Dick was and still is today, an ex-perienced volunteer with Holden Arboretum’s Bluebird monitoring program. This program was start-ed about twenty years ago and to my knowledge is the largest and oldest organized Bluebird trail in the state of Ohio. Dick was friend-ly, encouraging, patient, and very generous with his knowledge. Today we are great friends and he jokes with me saying he didn’t know he was creating a Bluebird enthusiast monster! From spend-ing time out on the trail with Dick and the Bluebirds, something within me connected with nature and I developed a deep love for Bluebirds. In the Bluebird I discovered a small beautiful creature that earlier in its history had lost its hunting ter-ritory, lost its sites for building homes, been a�acked by aliens from another land and if that wasn’t enough, had its food poisoned. This sad story also accurately reflects the displacement of the Native American Indian and many other people and animals pushed out of the way for the sake of progress. What this history represents to me is care-
less, short-sighted, self-indulgent human behavior cou-pled with tremendous ignorance. I believe the only reason Bluebirds are still here today is because educated people instituted change before it was too late and created laws protecting these creatures. What would happen today if
all these laws were discontinued? I’ve heard some folks say the Blue-birds have recovered just fine and no longer need our help. I say as long as humans inhabit the earth, the Bluebirds and other creatures will continue depending on our efforts to protect them. They need us and we need them. We all are connected and need each other. It will only take a moment of looking the other way to go backward. My goal in working with OBS and oth-er organizations is to help educate and inspire young and old people alike so this terrible tragedy never happens again.
I’m so grateful my wife Beth en-couraged me to take those initial first steps through the door of op-portunity and learning. I consider myself fortunate to have been paired to shadow with Dick Ken-nelly, a true teacher at heart. Now I spend many hours thinking about box placement, studying locations and being mindful of good habitat before I put up a box. The result - I
now enjoy the Bluebirds more than ever!
Jay K. Brindo Director Ohio Bluebird SocietyChardon, Ohio
Duecker, who have very generously taught me a phenomenal amount about bluebirds and the art of bluebirding. With their continued support and support from the College of Wooster, I have been able to involve a number of college students in behavioral research with bluebirds over the last four years. Watching these students fall in love with birds in the same
way I did years ago has been a real treat. I live in Wooster with my husband and three lovely, en-
ergetic, and demanding Siberian huskies. Though spare time is rare, I love spending time outdoors whenever it is possible. My husband and I are thrilled to be expecting our first baby in early May.
Wing Waive
Sharon Lynn Bio continued from page 5...
Tribute to my Mentor
6 Bluebird Monitor Spring 2010
Bluebird Conservation at The Holden Arboretum
by Mike WatsonThe Holden Arboretum’s bluebird program was start-
ed by a volunteer in the 1960’s with 230 nestboxes. Those early years saw a lot of trial and error. For example, in 1965 only 8 bluebird pairs nested at Holden. House Wrens and House Sparrows, though, were far more abundant. So nestboxes were moved or removed if they were too a�rac-tive to wrens or sparrows. By 1980, the number of nest-boxes at Holden had dropped to only 86, but sparrows and wrens were much less of a problem. Blowfly larvae first presented themselves as a threat in 1968. Treatment with insecticide proved effective until the mid-70’s when the flies began to show resistance to the chemical. So, the vol-unteers switched tactics and began removing and replac-ing all bluebird nests. This has proved an effective means to control blowfly larvae and is still done by Holden vol-unteers today.
In an article printed in Kirtlandia, Eakin provides a very thorough summary of those first 16 years (1965-1980). Here, I’ll present a quick overview of her findings, and then compare them to Holden’s bluebird program today.
Eakin spends much of the article discussing the threats to Holden’s bluebirds. Besides the wrens, sparrows, and blowfly mentioned above, the volunteers also dealt with predators, human interference, and uncooperative weath-er. For each of these threats, Eakin calculated the numbers of eggs, chicks, and adults killed each year and how the volunteers tried to minimize those losses. House wrens were responsible for the destruction of 152 bluebird eggs in those first 16 years. Another 110 were lost to predators. In terms of chicks, blowfly were by far the leading cause of loss (154). Weather came in second at 82 young lost.
Despite these losses, the bluebird population showed an increasing trend over those first 16 years. For example, the number of nesting pairs increased from 8 to 18 (average
of 16.7). Number of eggs, live young, and fledglings also increased (57 to 144, 52 to 122, and 45 to 110, respectively; see Table 1). In that time span, a total of 1015 bluebirds fledged from the arboretum’s nestboxes. She concluded that “It seems clear that humans can help the bluebird population to maintain itself, if not to increase.”
And increase it did!
To demonstrate just how much the bluebird popula-tion has increased since Eakin wrote those words, I decid-ed to compare the first 16 years to the most recent 16 year period (1994-2009). Table 3 shows how the numbers stack up. Average number of nesting pairs has increased to 77.4 (maximum number was 126 in 2006). Number of eggs, young, and fledglings all increased dramatically, as well. On average, Holden has fledged 326.9 young bluebirds per year during the last 16 years. That adds up to 5231 fledg-lings. (The total for the entire history of Holden’s bluebird program in 8585 fledglings.)
Hatching, fledging, and overall nest success are all higher now than during those first 16 years. For example, overall nest success increased from 52.1% to 66.8% (this represents the percent of eggs laid that result in a success-ful fledging).
In fact, the only thing that is lower now than in Eakin’s study is the average clutch size. During the first 16 years, bluebirds laid an average of 4.2 eggs per clutch. During the last 16 years it is 4.1 eggs per clutch. This decrease
Table 1. Bluebird nesting results averaged over 16 year periods.
1965-1980 1994-2009 difference# nesting pairs 16.7 77.4 60.8# eggs laid 125.3 492.6 367.3clutch size 4.2 4.1 -0.1eggs/box 0.9 2.3 1.4# young 89.3 383.3 293.9% of eggs that hatched 71.3 77.8 6.5# fledged 63.4 326.9 263.5% of young that fledged 71.5 85.9 14.4% of eggs that fledged 52.1 66.8 14.7
16year averages
Figure 1. Bluebird and Tree Swallow nesting cycles; comparing 1st 16 years to current cycle. Arrows indicate how the cycles have changed over time.
could be an indication of crowding - increased competi-tion between birds due to the size of the population. In fact, the last 16 years don’t show an increasing population trend, as Eakin found in 1980. Currently, it appears that the population is stabilizing (though it still shows a lot of yearly fluctuation). This may indicate that our bluebird population has reached the carrying capacity of our trail system.
With 219 nestboxes on the property in 2009, Holden has nearly returned to its 1965 number (230). Careful se-lection of nestbox location has, for the most part, limited wren and sparrow problems. And although I have not cal-culated the numbers lost to different threats, my sense is that weather and predators (before guards were installed) were the two biggest threats to our bluebirds today. With the success of predator guards, I think wrens will probably take over the position of top threat. Blowfly, though still present, rarely cause a nest failure, thanks to our volun-teers’ diligence in changing nests.
Bluebirds and Tree Swallows:There’s another change from then to now that I find
interesting. That is the change in peak nesting activity of bluebirds and tree swallows. I have only begun looking at the changes in nesting cycles and more work needs to be done, but here is what I have found so far.
Like the bluebirds, Holden’s tree swallow population has increased dramatically since 1965. In fact, tree swal-lows didn’t nest at Holden until 1966 – and then only pro-duced 5 fledglings. By 1980 that number was up to 51. Last year, we saw 346 tree swallows fledge at Holden.
Eakin calculated the nesting cycle based upon percent of clutches completed during 10day time periods. She found that swallow nesting activity peaked during the end of May (May 20-29). Looking at the last decade, however, we see that the peak in nesting activity occurs during the ten day period in the middle of May (May 10-19; Figure 1).
What might have caused the tree swallows to move their peak earlier in the season? I can only speculate, but it seems reasonable that there would be pressure to nest as early as possible so the young had the best possible chance of survival. Because swallows are migratory, there are limits on how early in the season they can begin nesting, but those who return and begin nesting first will have an advantage (unless they arrive too early and suffer due to cold weather). This pressure to be the first to nest could push the peak nesting period earlier into the season.
Eakin found that during those first 16 years, bluebird peak nesting activity occurred between April 20th and 29th; 15% of nesting activity occurred during that period. During the last decade, I found that the peak in bluebird nesting activity is still during those last 10days in April. But, bluebirds are pu�ing more of their nesting efforts into that time period; 20% of all nesting activity now occurs
during those 10 days. So, the timing of the peak in nesting activity hasn’t changed, but the peak is higher now than it was when the program started. Also, the trough in activity following this peak is deeper now than back then. Figure 1 shows the nesting cycle for bluebirds at Holden during both periods.
It’s hard to say exactly what is causing these changes. But, I suspect tree swallows may be the the driving force behind the change in the bluebird nesting cycle. As the swallow population increased and shifted their efforts ear-lier in the season, bluebirds responded by pu�ing more of
their effort into that first peak before the tree swallows are really active. This allows them to do more of their nest-ing without strong competition from the large tree swal-low population. So, why don’t the bluebirds just shift their peak earlier in April? I suspect that weather is a limiting factor – the weather is just too iffy in early April. So it seems that bluebirds must rely on that narrow time win-dow between potentially bad weather in early April and the peak of tree swallow nesting activity in mid-May.
Spring 2010 Bluebird Monitor 7
Table 2. Bluebird results for 2009 season. 2009# nesting pairs 81# nesting attempts 110# eggs laid 472# live young 381# fledged 360
% of eggs that hatched 80.72% of young that fledged 94.49% of eggs that fledged 76.27
Figure 2. Graph showing number of bluebirds fledged each year since 1965. Box labelled “Eakin” indicates the time period summarized by Eakin. “Current” indicates most recent 16 year time period.
Number EABL fledged
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Num
ber
Eakin Current
Table 2. Bluebird results for 2009 season. 2009# nesting pairs 81# nesting attempts 110# eggs laid 472# live young 381# fledged 360
% of eggs that hatched 80.72% of young that fledged 94.49% of eggs that fledged 76.27
Figure 2. Graph showing number of bluebirds fledged each year since 1965. Box labelled “Eakin” indicates the time period summarized by Eakin. “Current” indicates most recent 16 year time period.
Number EABL fledged
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Num
ber
Eakin Current
Continued on page 12...
8 Bluebird Monitor Spring 2010
Making Progress with Prothonotary Warblers 2008 and 2009
By Dick Tuttle, Delaware, OhioThis article originally appeared in the Winter 2009 issue of
Feathers and Friends, Journal of American Bird Conservation Association
Efforts to conserve Prothonotary Warblers along Alum Creek Lake and Creek south of the small village of Kil-bourne in Delaware County, Ohio are paying off.
My project in Central Ohio is fashioned after what I wit-nessed in Northeastern Ohio where Dan Best, head natu-ralist at the Geauga County Park District, along with Duane Ferris and Andrew Fondrk, started us-ing Metamucil® jars for nest struc-tures along the Upper Cuyahoga River in 1993. Geauga Park’s effort inspired me in 1998 after I partici-pated in a floating field trip down the Cuyahoga. I was extremely im-pressed with the nesting protho-notaries there, and like bluebirds, the school-bus-yellow warblers are self-promoting.
While my methods along Alum Creek differ slightly as far as some materials are concerned, the con-cepts are the same. My “nest jars” are not really jars since they are made from four-inch PVC drain-pipe. In 2007, my nest jars had only plastic caps for tops that caused them to overheat when standing in direct sunlight. To keep tempera-tures down, I located jars along western shores where they would be shaded throughout the afternoon.
I decided to add overhanging roofs before the 2008 season for two reasons. First, I wanted the roof to shade the nest chamber and give me more freedom with jar placement.
Second, the shale cliffs along much of my project’s route provide small nest tunnels for Belted Kingfishers, and the large-billed divers hunt from the tops of some jars. Because American Crows, American Magpies in the West, and some hawks are known to stand on nest boxes and pull bluebird nestlings out for snacks, I wanted long roofs to protect my jars’ families. So, I used a bolt and small screw to fix a 11-3/4-inch piece of plastic fence rail to each jar’s cap. The railing measures 5-1/2 x 1-1/2 inches and consists of three open chambers that are sure to insulate the nest chamber from the sun’s hot rays.
In order to raise nests above known flood levels, while keeping it possible to monitor from a canoe, all nest struc-tures are a�ached to five-foot-long “sleeves” that slide up and down steel pipes anchored in the creek or lake bot-toms. The sleeves are made of 1-1/4 PVC pipe. I paint each sleeve dark green and camouflage it with brown stripes. I use glossy enamel since it is slipperier and more raccoon resistant than satin and other dull finishes.
A hose clamp holds each sleeve to its pipe. For my proj-ect, I sawed parallel slots four inches from the lower end of the sleeve to accommodate a hose clamp. During monitoring, I use a screw driver with a 5/16” hex-head to loosen the hose clamp to lower the nest.
Once lowered, I disengage a small No. 8 x ½-inch sheet metal screw above one of the cap’s ven-tilation holes so I can remove the cap and roof assembly for moni-toring. Most times, I can use a hand mirror to inspect nest cham-bers while I remain seated in my canoe.
I am fortunate to have salvaged water, gas, and overhead door pipes over the years. I use a pipe cu�er to shorten pipes to eighty inches so I can easily slide them into the bo�om of my canoe. I wade and use a pipe pounder to
install mounting pipes within ten feet of shore.
In 2007, I left the project’s pipes standing for the winter and I had to
straighten only three that had been bent floating ice and flood debris.
For the 2007 season, I had placed ten pairs of nest jars at ten locations along the creek and lakeshore. Two pairs of prothonotaries responded by raising a total of eight young.
For 2008, I expanded the project farther south along the lakeshore while keeping single nest jars at the original 2007 sites. During 2008 and 2009, the project consisted of twenty nest jars, five wooden boxes, and five houses made from a plastic/sawdust composite, all with 1-1/4-inch entrances drilled for warblers. I also mounted two standard bluebird boxes in the lake next to the road, completing a total of 32 nest structures at 25 locations.
Photo #338 by Frank GermannA Prothonotary Warbler carries a fecal sac away from an active
nest. The overhanging roof made of chambered fence railing shades the nest chamber, keeping it from overheating
Spring 2010 Bluebird Monitor 9
The 2008 Prothonotary Warbler Season
In order to avoid ice damage, I store all nest jars, boxes, and sleeves at my home over the winter. I wanted to rein-stall all boxes by April 15, 2008 but heavy rains and high water forced me to postpone my efforts for a week. Male prothonotary warblers helped me celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by singing along the two-mile long route as I re-installed the last of the nest structures. I was thrilled to watch a Prothonotary Warbler inspect a newly erected nest jar as I wondered if it was the same bird that had nested there the previous season.
Once male warblers return from migration, they go about adding moss to as many nest chambers as possible. Female prothonotaries arrive a week or so later and go about inspecting nest sites prepared by the males. After they choose sites, each female weaves a nest cup from fine material, including hair and plant fibers.
In 2007, males added moss to nest jars at nine (90%) of ten locations. Females completed nest cups in two (20%) jars and both families were successful.
In 2008, males added moss to nest chambers at 21 of 25 locations (84%). Female warblers construct-ed nest cups in seven (28%) cham-bers and laid eggs in six (24%). Four nests (16%) were successful at fledging young. Tree Swallows and/or House Wrens are suspects in the disappearance of two, and possibly three, clutches of warbler eggs.
Golden Swamp Warblers (orig-inal name) raised twice as many families and fledglings in 2008 than they did in 2007. The last Pro-thonotary Warbler family of the 2008 nesting season fledged on July 16, adding to a grand total of 16 produced among four families of 3, 4, 4 and five fledglings.
The first warbler egg appeared on May 13 to start a 64-day period when active nests contained eggs or nestlings. Prothonotaries lay one egg a day, incubate for 12-13 days, and nestlings fledge a quick ten or eleven days after hatching.
The 2009 Season The 2009 Prothonotary Warbler season, from the first
egg to the last fledgling, lasted from May 13 through July 20, a 69-day period that did not count the earliest date when male warblers arrived to claim nestboxes with moss deposits. I found the first down payments of moss on May 3.
Male prothonotaries added moss at 15 locations (57.7%) and females completed nests at seven locations (26.9%). Using the same set of numbers, females completed 46.7%
of the nests that males started. Six nests held eggs, the same as 2008 and four (66.7%) successfully fledged 17 war-blers. Sticks found in two warbler nests helped to convict House Wrens of the crimes. (Also, prothonotaries fledged five young from a nest jar on the Delaware Wildlife Area to make a species total of 22 warblers raised for 2009.)
Other Nesters In 2008, six pairs of Tree Swallows raised 22 offspring,
and three pairs of House Wrens fledged 20 young, even though I tried to avoid wren habitats when I placed the boxes. In 2009, swallows claimed nine jars to fledge 29, and wrens fledged 28 from five nests, while Carolina Chicka-dees claimed four nestboxes to add 19 young to Alum Creek’s ecosystem.
Exciting Observations Four times in 2008, I was amazed to watch Prothonota-
ry Warblers fly across open lake water for distances great-er than 210 yards. Each flight took place between a nest located just south of the creek’s mouth, and the opposite shore where the warblers landed inches above the water in branches of bu�onbush or willow, two indicators of prothonotary habitat. Their nest was visible from Hogback Road for anyone using binoculars and scopes to watch Ospreys on Platform No. One. I had banded five-day-old warbler nestlings on July 10 and for five evenings afterward, I used my scope to watch parents feed their family. It was an exciting sight to watch energetic parents push off from the jar’s entrance and grow larger in my scope’s lens as they approached. They flew within a yard or two above the open water like it was the most natural thing in their world to do. They opened my mind to some new management
strategies: when placing a new nest structure, also look to the opposite shore for willows, even if the trees are hundreds of yards away.
July 2, 2009, was a most exciting day for me. I had cal-culated that three nestlings in Jar No. 16 had been expect-ed to fledge the day before, so I slid my canoe alongside the jar’s pole, snapped my rope around it, and went about lowering the nest. I was shocked to discover that the olive-green nestlings were still inside. Apparently, the birds did not read the same book as I did.
After supper that very day, I followed my routine of reporting to Hogback Road to watch Osprey. My objec-tive was to spy on four Osprey nestlings and their mother on Platform No. Four. This was our largest family since Ospreys started nesting in Delaware County in 2001. Pho-
Photo #6401 by Mike Maier.The golden swamp warbler’s reflection is seen as the birdstalked its prey among tangles of sticks below its nest jar
at Alum Creek.
Continued on page 10...
10 Bluebird Monitor Spring 2010
In an effort to use our OBS funds in the most efficient manner as possible, we would liketo offer your Bluebird Monitor newsletter by e-mail.
If you would prefer to receive your Bluebird Monitor by e-mail rather than by mail,please send your request to: Marcella Hawkins at [email protected].
Please note: We will automatically start e-mailing all future newsletters to you. Thepaper copy will also continue to be mailed to you unless you notify us that you do notwish to receive it.
Thank you!
tographers had trimmed a tunnel in the foliage on top of a cliff that overlooked the nest. I set up my equipment near the cliff’s edge and soon concluded that all was well with the fish hawks. Then, I turned my spo�ing scope twenty degrees north to see if anything was going on with Nest Jar No. 6 that is one thousand feet across the lake. With my scope set at 35x, I could recognize a nestling perched in the jar’s entrance. It started beating its wings, only to fall forward and ended up hanging by its feet. It’s wings never stopped as it righted itself to disappear back into the nest chamber. I laughed out loud, but I had to admit that the clumsy maneuver was not bad for a creature that eleven days earlier was a bare fetus chipping its way out of an egg.
Within seconds, a nestling reappeared at the jar’s en-trance as an adult warbler flew back and forth between two limbs, trying to encourage the feathered novice to go for it. At 19:41, a fledgling was born as the young warbler flew in an upward arc to land in an oak tree above its nest. Ten minutes later, I was still glued to my spo�ing scope as a second fledgling followed the same aerial path into the oak tree. Everything else that evening was anticlimactic.
Once again, I have removed, cleaned, and stored all nest structures at my home for the winter, and I plan to reinstall them before April 15, 2010, weather permi�ing. It is not difficult to help Prothonotary Warblers, and as with all birds that accept our offerings, it is most rewarding and fun to monitor their progress.
Editor's note: In the summer issue we will run the plans for the boxes mentioned in the beginning of the article.
Editorial deadlines All articles should be sent to Marcella Hawkins in electronic format via e-mail or floppy disk. Hand writ-ten articles will not be accepted. The e-mail address is [email protected]. An “Editorial Review “ committee will review all things submitted and deter-mine what are appropriate based on the content and the season for a particular issue. All articles, pictures, etc. should be sent no less than 5 days before deadline via electronic means or on floppy disk/CD to Marcella Hawkins. Hard copy of pictures can be returned to you if you include address and instructions to do so. Deadline dates for the Spring 2011 - February 1, 2011; Summer - June 1, 2010; Fall - August 1, 2010; Winter - November 1, 2010
WANTED:Submissions for the Newsletter
Send your questions, personal stories & experiences to:
Thank you in advance for helping. The funds that are saved by emailing the newsletter will contribute to OBS fullfilling its mission statement.
If you would prefer to receive your Bluebird Monitor by e-mail rather than by mail, please send your request to: Marcella Hawkins at [email protected]
In an effort to use OBS funds in the most efficient manner as possible, we would like to offer your Bluebird Monitor newsletter by e-mail.
Please note: We will automatically start e-mailing all the future newsletters to you. The paper copy will also continue to be mailed to you unless you notify us that you do not wish to receive it.
If you have e-mail and did not receive a message on April 18 about the Monitor, please send your e-mail address to: [email protected] so we can update your e-mail address.
Below is an example of how our website will be looking . . . . soon.
Some new features:
~ Ability to pay membership dues on-line through PayPal
~ New e-mail address for contacting OBS
~ Ability to upload your photos to share with our members
~ “Trail Tales” section to share your trail stories
(Example )
An e-mail blast will be sent out when the website is ready to use.
Spring 2010 Bluebird Monitor 11
12 Bluebird Monitor Spring 2010
2009 Results:As all Ohio bluebirders probably know, 2007 was a
rough year for bluebirds. Bad weather was the prime cul-prit. But, at Holden we also lost many nests to predation. As a result, the number of birds fledged in 2007 was 194 (down from more than 400 in 2006). I’m happy to report that in the subsequent two years our bluebirds have recov-ered nicely. In 2009, we fledged 360 bluebirds at Holden. Overall nest success is more than 76% (remember, Eakin found a nest success of just over 50%). New predator guards installed in 2008 and cooperative spring weather seem to be the two most important factors leading to the increased success since 2007. Table 2 shows the summary statistics for 2009.
HABITAT for BLUEBIRDS
By Ron DueckerDuring late winter many Bluebirders conquer the
“Winter Blues” by building new nestboxes and renovating those that have housed Bluebirds for several seasons. One consideration for many of us is the cost of materials nec-essary to build a solid structure that will serve for many years to come.
Toward the end of the 2009 season I made commit-ments to several people to provide a total of four nestboxes
. After the mid-Winter holidays, I decided to make prep-arations to fulfill my promises. With increasing lumber prices being an issue, I began investigating various sources for prices and available materials. At the local “big box” home center the price averaged approximately $1.65 per board foot for #2 lumber with a few solid knots. I chose to build the “Cadillac” of nestboxes, designed by Mel Bolt and Dale Glass which takes approximately 2-1/2 board feet of material. The lumber cost per box would be approxi-mately $4.00 per box.
A friend suggested I check out prices at the local HAB-ITAT FOR HUMANITY “ RE-STORE”. My only previous connection with RE-STORE was when I donated some tools and excess lumber when I downsized my workshop three years earlier. I found a virtual cornucopia of used building products including lots of gently used lumber. I found several boards suitable for my project including a painted shelf , 10” x 8’ for $1.00 . Several other boards in various sizes were priced at no more than 50 cents per board foot. The total cost for enough material to build all 4 boxes was $3.18, or roughly 80 cents per nestbox.
All of the material was either unfinished or had a coat of finish on one side. There were some nail holes and or scratches that I easily filled or sanded. During construction of the boxes I made sure only unfinished surfaces faced the inside of the box so there would be no possible danger to the future inhabitants. After final assembly each box was sanded and painted to look like new.
I suggest to anyone who has a RE-STORE nearby to give them a visit. You will not only find some real bar-gains but also contribute to a worthwhile organization that is operated with unpaid volunteers.
Holden Arboretum continued from page 7...
Beginning Balance as of 12/31/2009 26,860.92Receipts:
Annual conference 2,607.00 Grant - Wachovia 100.00 Interest 49.04 Membership Dues 1,680.00 Rebate 10.00
(5,918.15)Ending Balance as of 3/31/2010 25,388.81
Ohio Bluebird SocietyFinancial Report as of 3/31/2010 Marcella Hawkins, Treasurer
Spring 2010 Bluebird Monitor 13
We’ve done it! Students at Perry Middle School have come up with the perfect low-tech answer to Twi� er and Tweet. We’ll communicate with nature’s creatures the old-fashioned way – by direct observation. Student scientists will be able to gather information about their fi ne-feath-ered friends more closely this year, thanks to a generous grant for “Project Bird Sleuth” from the Lake County Part-ners in Science Excellence Foundation. Project Bird Sleuth will introduce Perry students to endless inquiry possi-bilities through the installation of eight bird feeder/nest box stations placed throughout the campus at the high school, middle school, and elementary schools. The sta-tions will become a bluebird trail in the spring, with tours provided by middle and high school guides. Elementary through high school-aged students will learn about bird-watching and participate in inquiry activities using age-appro-priate Bird Sleuth kits which will be available for classroom use at each of the schools.
The project was chosen to en-courage outdoor education and promote inquiry for Perry science students, and birds were chosen because they can become almost like pets without cleaning messy cages or keeping animals captive. Jane Kirkland, author of No Stu-dent Left Indoors, recommends bird-watching as the perfect fi rst step in developing a fi eld guide/outdoor education program because: birds are plen-tiful, they are everywhere, they are present year-round, and handicapped students can observe them. Kirkland also points out that bird feeders and nest boxes a� ract ani-mals to the schoolyard, are viewable in inclement weather, and appeal to all age groups.
The construction phase of the Bird Sleuth Project took place on February 20, at the Mentor Home Depot. Assis-tant Manager, Sco� Dimos, generously donated all the ma-terials and labor, and held a special workshop for Perry students to build nest boxes and bird houses on a brisk
Saturday morning. Twenty six elementary and middle school students and parent volunteers answered the call to construct a total of 16 structures, including 8 nest box-es, 4 tray feeders, and 4 traditional feeders. In addition to gaining hands-on experience in engineering, design, and construction techniques, students ate popcorn and learned about Bluebird Basics. They also studied a map of the Perry Campus and the specifi c nesting requirements of bluebirds in order to make recommendations for the best
placement of the structures on school grounds. Mr. Jay Brindo, of the Ohio Bluebird Society, brought his crew of experts to help staff and students install the nest boxes and feeders over spring break.
So this spring, “let the wild rum-pus begin.” Kits with binoculars, fi eld guides, and related materials will be available to individual classrooms, stu-dents will begin regularly feeding the birds and visiting the stations, and the inquiry questions will fl ow. “What types of birds live in northeast Ohio? Which type of food for which bird? How do we handle aggressive house spar-rows that want to take over the bluebird nest boxes?” In addition, if bluebirds nest in the boxes, then middle and high school students will act as tour guides to take interested classes along the trail to check out the nests and impart blue-bird information.
Watch for the Offi cial Bluebird Trail Grand Opening Celebration later this spring, and keep your fi ngers crossed that “birds of a feather will fl ock to-gether” in the nests we’ve so carefully prepared for them. With any luck, students will be able to take a break from social networking, and observe the original Twi� er-ers and Tweet-ers in action on our very own Perry Schools Bluebird Trail.
Yours in the spirit of investigation,Pat Be� eley6th Grade Science/Social Studies TeacherPerry Middle Schoolbe� [email protected]
Students Twi� er with Mother Nature
by Pat Be� eley
Trail Tales:
OBS Board of Directors and AdvisorsDIRECTORSJay K. [email protected]
Jay Reda (retired ODNR law enforcement officer) has been very helpful to OBS over the past few years. He was a major part of getting OBS the kiosk at the Geauga County Fair Grounds. He also hosts a radio show - check it out.
Reno “Jay” RedaInside the Great Outdoors Radio
Live 8:00-10:00 Every Sunday MorningNews/Talk 1420 WHK Radio On the net
www.whkradio.com Join us on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/
group.php?gid=42314788009
14 Bluebird Monitor Spring 2010
Member News
Inside the Great Outdoors Radio
Bluebirds lose a friendJohn J. Lapin, Life Member and 2005 Blue Feather recipient, passed away on March 27 at age 93. Condolence messages may be sent to the family at:
John J. Lapin Familyc/o John S. Lapin
3439 Olde Winter TrailPoland, OH 44514
or visit www.beckerobits.com to send condolences on-line. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested that
contributions be made to:
Ohio Bluebird SocietyPMB 111
343 W. Milltown RoadWooster, OH 44691-7241
Secrest Arboretum PowerpointKen Cochran - the Secrest Arboretum Director at the
OARDC in Wooster - presented a PowerPoint program at the 2010 OBS Conference in Wooster on what plants to use to attract birds.
Copies of his presentation were to be passed out be-fore he spoke but that did not happen. There are copies available to anyone who would like one - while supplies last. Please send your request to Marcella Hawkins at [email protected], or to our mailing address - OBS, PMB 111, 343 W. Milltown Road, Wooster, OH 44691.
WebSite Our website (www.ohiobluebirdsociety.org) is be-ing revised and we will send out a member e-mail blast to let you know when it is done.
